History of the origin of pasta: interesting myths and facts. The history of pasta

Pasta has been around for a very long time. So long ago that it is no longer possible to determine the exact year of their birth.

In fact, vermicelli, noodles, and ordinary cones can be called pasta - there is not much difference between them. Some are hollow, others are not (like spaghetti). Do you know where and when pasta first appeared? In Europe, Asia, Africa or maybe America?

Many, of course, will say that pasta is a traditional dish Italian cuisine, however, like spaghetti. This opinion is not entirely correct, although it has a right to exist. Indeed, the word Maccheroni comes from Italy. The Sicilians had their own recipes, and the Genoese had theirs. By the way, about the greats Italian cities, Genoa and Venice, which, however, for a long time considered themselves completely independent. Pasta could be stored for quite a long time, so the holds of sailors from Genoa and Venice were often filled with pasta. After all, merchants sailed with their goods many thousands of kilometers from their homeland. Well, then from the Apennine Peninsula, pasta spread throughout Europe. Vermicelli first appeared in Florence and Naples.

It can be added that the first pasta came to the Russian Empire from Italy. This happened during the reign of Peter the Great, who often invited foreign masters to his place. One of them turned out to be an Italian shipbuilder, who brought with him a certain amount of pasta. And then - as always. People liked it, and the dish caught on. But the first factory was opened by the French in the city of Odessa, which at that time was part of Russian Empire. Wheat flour was used for their production.

According to other sources, the word pasta Greek origin. The literal translation is: pasta in Greek is food made from flour. True, there is no reliable evidence of the existence of pasta in Ancient Greece not so much. Unless the Greek makros means long.

Another thing is the Roman Empire, about which scientists know much more. Rome ruled the world of that time, and the culinary art of the Romans reached unprecedented heights. In particular, under Emperor Tiberius, when the first books with culinary recipes. In Rome they already knew pasta, however, they were different from what we are used to, which is natural, the technologies were completely different. Arabs who visited Rome also spoke after returning home about a new dish, slightly different from today's pasta.

One cannot help but say about the Chinese. Archaeologists during excavations of some ancient Chinese settlement found the remains of noodles in ceramic peasant dishes. The exact age of the find is difficult to determine, approximately from 3000 to 5000 thousand years. It turns out that the Chinese, and not the Italians, were the first to invent noodles and pasta. In China, pasta is mentioned in ancient fairy tales, legends, and myths; their descriptions are often found in ancient manuscripts. For example, according to Chinese beliefs, rice noodles helped with excess weight or other human ailments. So, it is quite possible that noodles and pasta were invented by the Chinese. They actually came up with a lot of things. Yes, and more. The great traveler Marco Polo did not bring pasta from Asia to Europe; he only testified to the fact that China was also familiar with the technology of its production.

Japanese pasta is called toshi-koshi, they are slightly longer and thinner than standard ones, and they are made from barley or rice flour. The Japanese love pasta and really know a lot about it. They are served at the table during holidays or other important events. In addition, they were also used in medicinal purposes However, the result of such pasta therapy remains unknown.

In the famous pyramids, inherited to humanity from the ancient Egyptians, they also found a large number of reproductions in which people were busy preparing a dish that looked very much like noodles. The dough, as it should be in polite society, was first dried and then boiled. It is difficult to say whether pasta appeared in Ancient Egypt or whether the recipe was imported from outside. But the fact remains a fact.

The Arabs also cut the dough into thin strips and left it in the sun or hot stones. But since the Arab civilization appeared later than the Chinese and Egyptian, pasta most likely appeared not in the Arab world, but beyond its borders.

The peak of popularity of pasta, noodles and regular noodles occurred in the 20th century. Indeed, due to widespread electrification, factories and factories began to produce much more food products. So they filled the world. This is the story of pasta.

From the right pasta don't get fat!

From mung beans and other grains.

Usually pasta products are produced food industry and stored dry. They are boiled before use. Sometimes other ingredients are added to the dough during their production, for example: dyes (tomato paste, spinach, beets, pigment released from cuttlefish (cuttlefish ink) and others), eggs, herbs.

Often the term “pasta” refers only to dried dough products - semi-finished products. However, some dough products, which are then boiled in boiling water, are prepared not only from dry dough, but also from freshly prepared dough (for example: noodles, gnocchi, beshbarmak). Accurate, unambiguous and generally accepted classification pasta from the test does not exist.

Italian pasta and some others flour products are called paste(Italian Pasta, apparently from Late Latin Lat pasta- “dough”) is a homogeneous mushy mass, but in Russian this word has a different meaning.

Classification of pasta

The raw materials used influence, in accordance with Russian standards, to divide pasta into groups A, B, C (depending on the type of wheat) and into the highest, first and second grade (depending on the type of flour):

group A: made from durum wheat flour (durum) of the highest, first and second grade.
group B: made from soft glassy wheat flour of the highest and first grade.
group B: made from wheat baking flour highest and first grade.

Durum wheat varieties have more content gluten and lower starch content than soft ones. Pasta made from them has a lower glycemic index.

In some countries (for example, Italy), pasta is allowed to be made only from durum wheat (similar to group A in Russia).

By method preparations a distinction is made between fresh, usually egg, and dry products.

By degree readiness pasta may vary depending on its type and local traditions. In Italy, the standard is to cook to al dente (“to the tooth,” that is, the very middle of the product remains slightly undercooked and hard. In some countries, including Russia, products prepared in this way may be considered undercooked).

The largest and perhaps most common group of pasta products is solid(spaghetti) or tubular(pasta) products, at least 15 cm long, with a very small, usually 1-2 mm, diameter of the product (or the thickness of its walls, if tubular).

In Italy Various types pasta products have names corresponding to their shape and size.

The ending in the title indicates product size:

oni- large
ette or etti- small
ini- small.

Groups of pasta by shape

By form Pasta products are divided into six groups:

Long pasta

Bavette(Italian Bavette) - similar to flattened spaghetti - originally from Liguria.
Capellini(Italian Capellini; from Italian capello - hair) - the name comes from the north of Central Italy, translated from Italian as “hairs”, “thin hair” (1.2 mm - 1.4 mm). It is also sometimes called: “Angel Hair” (Capelli d’angelo) or “Venus Hair” (Capelvenere).
Vermicelli(Italian "Vermicelli; from Italian verme - worm) - long, rounded and quite thin (1.4 mm - 1.8 mm).
Spaghetti(Italian: Spaghetti; from Italian: spaghe - string) - long, round and quite thin (1.8 mm - 2.0 mm). Initially, their length was 50 cm. Now, for convenience, it has been reduced to about 25 cm, but you can also find long spaghetti (Manufacturers usually place them in the “special format” section).
Spaghettini- thinner than spaghetti.
Spaghettoni- thicker than spaghetti.
Maccheroncini(Italian Maccheroncini) - are somewhere between spaghetti and bavette.
Bucatini(Italian: Bucatini).
Tagliatelle(Italian: Tagliatelle) - thin and flat strips egg dough about 5 mm wide. They differ from fettuccine, mainly only in their smaller width (the difference is at least 2 mm).
Fettuccine(Italian Fettuccine) - thin flat strips of dough about 7 mm wide.
Mafaldine(Italian Mafaldine) - a long ribbon with wavy edges. Mafaldine were invented in Naples and were once called "Rich Fettuccielle". The Neapolitans invented them especially for Princess Mafalda of Savoy and subsequently christened them “Reginette” (literally translated as the princess) or “Mafaldina” in her honor.
Linguine(Italian Linguine) - long, thin strips of noodles.
Pappardelle(Italian: Pappardelle) - flat ribbons of noodles 13 mm wide, originally from Tuscany.

Short pasta

Fusilli - fusilli- from northern Italy. The name comes from the word "fuso", from Italian "spindle", with which wool was spun. The shape of the Fusilli resembles three blades fastened together and twisted in a spiral.
Girandole - girandole- are considered Fusilli's younger sisters. Girandole got its name for its resemblance to a children's toy - a multi-colored pinwheel. They have a shortened shape and require less time to prepare.
Penne - penne- Rigate (ribbed), Lisce (smooth), Piccole (small) - all Penne have a characteristic dynamic shape of a hollow tube with oblique cuts, in the manner of a sharpened ancient feather, in comparison with the usual straight classic pasta.
Pipe rigate - pipe rigate. Some believe that this pasta format dates back to Roman gastronomic culture, while others suggest that it first appeared in north central Italy. People call them snails. They resemble tubes in shape, twisted in a semicircle so that the sauce is held inside.
Tortiglioni - tortiglioni- one of the first forms of pasta invented in Naples - short tubes with a characteristic pattern, from which they got their name - “tortiglione” - upward spiral grooves that remain after processing on a lathe.
Maccheroni - Maccheroni- small thin tubes, slightly bent.
Cellentani - Cellentani- spiral tubes.

Pasta for baking

Cannelloni - cannelloni- tubes with a diameter of up to 30 mm and a length of up to 100 mm, one of the first types of pasta invented by people. Since ancient times, they were prepared from dough mixed with water from ground grains and salt, then the dough was rolled out and cut into rectangles, on which the filling was placed, rolled into a tube and then boiled
Lasagne - lasagna- Rectangular baking sheets. Lasagne sheets are alternated with the filling and baked in the oven for about 20 minutes. Unlike other types of dough, it does not need to be boiled first.

Small pasta for soups

Anelli - Anelli- miniature rings for soups.
Stelline - Stelina- stars.
Orecchiete- small items in the shape of ears.
Filini- thin short threads.

Figured pasta

Farfalle - farfalle- butterflies.
Farfallette or Farfallini- smaller butterflies.
Conchiglie - conchiglie - Shells- products in the form of shells; suitable for filling with filling. There are smooth (lisce) and grooved (rigate).
Concigliette- smaller shells.
Conchiglioni - conciglioni(large shells).
Gemelli- thin spirals or strands with hollow ends.
Caserecce- horns.
Campanella- bells with a wavy edge.

Who has never eaten pasta? Perhaps such a person cannot be found anywhere. Indeed, under one name “pasta” a huge assortment of dough products has been collected - these are ordinary vermicelli and horns, and long spaghetti, and sheets of lasagna pasta, etc. With this product already exists great amount recipes that are quick and easy to prepare. But few people know how and when pasta appeared, as well as where it comes from. In fact, the history of the origin of pasta is fascinating not only because interesting facts, but also the myths and legends that surround them..

History of the origin of pasta - where did pasta come from?

Most, of course, will say that pasta is a traditional dish of Italian cuisine, and they will be somewhat right... After all, it was Italian merchants who spread pasta throughout Europe, filling the holds of their ships with pasta during long voyages many thousands of kilometers from their homeland.

It was people from Genoa who first brought pasta to Russia, and this happened during the time of Peter the Great. The famous reformer and admirer of everything European often invited foreign craftsmen, one of whom was an Italian shipbuilder and brought a quantity of pasta as a gift to the royal court. People liked the dish and quickly caught on. And here industrial production pasta in our country began with a factory in the city of Odessa. It is noteworthy that it was discovered not by Russians or Italians, but by the French.

There is an opinion that pasta is a dish of Greek origin, because literally “pasta” is translated from ancient Greek as “food made from flour.” But, apart from this fact, the existence of pasta in Ancient Greece is practically unconfirmed.

In the Roman Empire, during the reign of Emperor Tiberius, around 600 AD, the first cookbooks. And they contained recipes for pasta dishes that were only slightly different from modern ones! However, this is our era. And the history of pasta is much older.

During excavations of ancient pyramids in Egypt, a large number of images of people preparing noodles were found. Moreover, the technology was not very different from the current one - the dough was rolled out, cut into pieces and dried. Whether pasta was imported from outside or invented locally is still unknown to science.

But still, the most ancient mentions of pasta belong to the Chinese. During excavations of ancient cities dating back to approximately 4000 BC, remains of dishes with petrified noodles were found! Also in China there are a huge number of references to pasta in folklore - fairy tales, myths, legends. Beliefs and folk superstitions are associated with pasta. It turns out that China is the birthplace of everyone’s favorite dough products, and not Italy at all.

Today there are a huge number of facts about pasta. We have prepared the most interesting ones for you.

In Italy, pasta is called "pasta";
There are about 600 types of pasta around the world;
To prepare pasta, Italians use durum varieties wheat;
In 1819, the first spaghetti drying machine was invented in Italy;
The composer Rossini once wrote that he cried only 2 times in his life. The first time was when I heard Paganini play, and the second time was when I dropped a pasta dish that he had prepared himself;
A Dutch driver was sentenced to 8 weeks in prison for eating pasta while driving;
In Italy there is a film genre called the spaghetti western. About 600 films were made in this genre in the 60s.

Pasta sauces

Now we eat pasta with meat, vegetables, milk, various seasonings, etc. But traditionally, pasta is eaten with sauce. And to do this, you need to prepare them yourself from fresh ingredients.

Bolognese: chopped meat, tomatoes, red wine and herbs;
Barbonara: bacon, cream and Parmesan cheese;
Norm: pork fat, onions and tomatoes;
Napoletana: tomatoes, fresh vegetables and greens.

Although each country has its own pasta... What unites them excellent taste, ease of preparation and popularity, which peaked in the twentieth century. With the development of the industrial world, factories began to produce much more large quantity pasta, and they have virtually taken over the world. This is the story of pasta.

He, pl. macaroni, it. maccheroni 1. Food product from unleavened dough, dried in the form of long narrow tubes; food made from this food product. BAS 1. Smeraldina... says that she prepared good pasta for dinner. 1733.… … Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

pasta- (Italian maccheroni). Flour products durum wheat, sometimes with the addition of eggs, shaped like tubes. (Cord-shaped products are called spaghetti or vermicelli (see) depending on their length, that is, translated from Italian as ropes... ... Culinary dictionary

PASTA- (Italian macheroni). An Italian dish in the form of long empty tubes of dry dough, sprinkled with grated cheese after cooking. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. PASTA, etc. macheroni Italian... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

PASTA- PASTA, he. Product from wheat flour in the form of long dried tubes. | adj. pasta, oh, oh. Pasta (pasta, cones). Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

PASTA- female, pl. tube noodles, Italian tubes. ronal, relating to them. Pasta maker husband chick female who makes and sells pasta. shchikov, shchitsyn, him, her; schichy, which includes Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. IN AND. Dahl. 1863 1866 … Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

PASTA- bestially. Jarg. Morsk. Neglected Any poorly prepared food. Cor., 165; Laz., 242. /i> Transformation of the turnover of pasta in the naval way ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings

PASTA- PASTA, pasta, units. no (Italian: maccheroni). Fresh food product wheat dough, dried in the form of tubes. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Pasta- Pasta: tubular pasta in the shape of a long straight tube with a straight or wavy cut... Source: PASTA PRODUCTS. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS. GOST R 52000 2002 (approved by Decree of the State Standard of the Russian Federation dated December 30, 2002 N 530 art.) ... Official terminology

pasta- Pasta, genitive case of this noun – macaroni (not pasta): I don’t have pasta... Dictionary of Russian language errors

pasta- (obsolete macaroni), gen. macaroni (wrong macaroni) ... Dictionary of difficulties of pronunciation and stress in modern Russian language

pasta- Tubular pasta in the shape of a long straight tube with a straight or wavy cut. [GOST R 52000 2002] Topics: pasta... Technical Translator's Guide

Books

Pasta , . Pasta has long outgrown its status as a simple side dish. Dishes made from them can be found today even on the menus of respectable restaurants. Salads and soups are prepared from pasta, they are served with sauces from…

From the previous part of the history of pasta, we can conclude that determining the original source of the appearance of pasta is quite difficult due to its ancient origin and numerous sources. But I propose to consider the following facts, based on the dates of which you can understand in which countries pasta originally appeared and which history of the appearance of pasta is the most truthful and correct.

One of the first mentions of pasta is found in the cookbook of Appicus, who lived in the 1st century BC. e. under the ruler Tiberius. He named a dish in this book that is similar to modern fish lasagna.

Archaeological finds, such as wooden rollers for rolling out dough and knives for cutting it, indicate that pasta was consumed back in the days of Ancient Greece.

It is believed that pasta was popular back in the 4th century BC. e. In the tombs of the Egyptians, archaeologists found images of people making something like noodles, which they took with them on their journey to the kingdom of the dead.

Studying the decorative forms of the image of the Etruscan necropolis “Banditaccia”, from the 4th century BC. e., historians have found that they reflect devices for making and cooking pasta.

In the 10th century AD e. Chef Martin Corneau created the book " culinary arts about Sicilian pasta." At that time the word pasta Italian was synonymous with food in general.

In the same century, the Arab geographer Al-Idrizi, who lived in Sicily, described a “food in the form of threads”, which was made from dough near Palermo.

Documented evidence can include a document from 1244, which contained a list of prohibited products. It also included pasta lissa - pasta made from soft varieties wheat.

For some time it was thought that pasta was brought to Venice by Marco Polo, who returned from China in 1292.

But much earlier, pasta was mentioned in the inventory of the archives of the city of Genoa in 1279. It talks about the will of Ponzio Bastone. It mentions "bariscella plena pasta" (a basket full of pasta).

Also, strips of dried dough appeared until the 13th century. Pasta and dishes made from it were on the tables of Sicily, where Arabs lived at that time. They dried ribbons of dough in the sun and boiled them, adding them to ready-made pasta various additives.

There is a confirmed manuscript by physician Xiao Gong. While serving at the court of the ruler of China, he wrote a treatise on the medicines of Emperor Shen Nong (in Chinese mythology, he is the patron saint of agriculture and medicine). In it, the doctor described recipes and recommendations for use.
One of the treatises described that in case of colds, as well as to cleanse the body of harmful energies and painful accumulations, the patient was recommended to eat hot dishes with buckwheat noodles. For obesity and to maintain a youthful body, Xiao Gunn recommended wheat and rice noodles.

The eastern “roots” of pasta were confirmed by the discovery of scientists, already in our time, in 2005. Noodle dishes were found during excavations of an ancient settlement along the Yellow River. The age of the find was estimated at 4 thousand years.